Beelzebub | The Alchemist

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Notes / Commercial Description:
Beelzebub is an American Imperial Stout. The intensely smooth and rich roasted flavor is complemented by the unmistakable presence of hops. The bitterness is held in check, preserving the flavors of dark chocolate. This ale is aggressively dry hopped with Citra to cut through it all. Hail Santa.

O:
A damn tasty stout that both is and isn't what one would expect.
This is a stout-looking beer right off the bat. Gorgeous. A balanced mix of smooth roast and hop bitterness. The smell and flavor are both happier than what I had expected but actually served to make the beer a little lighter in its feet. Both aspects are heavy on coffee and dark chocolate but the hops give you a light at the end of the tunnel, accentuate the malt bitterness, and make it more drinkable than it would be otherwise. It is a nice beer that I thoroughly enjoyed. Maybe a little heavy-handed, but it also manages to avoid being a slog to drink like I find some great RISs to be, so that's definitely a win. I'd certainly have it again. (4.25)

Received from @zid – Thanks Chris! Reviewed 12/26/18.
Undated 16 oz can. Stored at 42 degrees and served at 57 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter.
Appearance – 4.5.
Body – Dark brown/black, opaque. When held to the light, still opaque.
Head – Large (Maximum 6.5 cm, aggressive center pour), light brown, dense, average retention, diminishing to a four mm ring and a complete, rocky layer.
Lacing – Excellent! Wide band of primarily tiny bubbles with an occasional small to medium bubble thrown in.
First pour – Dark brown, clear.
Aroma – 4.25 – Dark chocolate, char, dark fruits, and hops.
Flavor – 4 - Begins with bitter chocolate and roasted malt, missing the “dark fruit” from the nose. Has a hoppy ending with a long hang-time. No alcohol (8%), no diacetyl, no dimethylsulfide.
Palate – 3.5 – Oddly enough, medium, watery, lively carbonation.
Impression and interpretation – 4.25 – The weak palate is totally unexpected from an Impy stout – much thinner and waterier than the style suggests – more typical of a black IPA. But, since I like both styles, this does not impede my enjoyment. The nose is more nuanced than the flavor, at least to my taste buds.

Pours an engine oil black color with a monstrous tan head the leaves lacing down the glass. Nose of roasted malt and chocolate. Taste is roasted malt, dark chocolate, and a clean dry hopped finish that makes it feel lighter than it is. Full body and low carbonation.
There is so much good about this. I drank this out of season (in the summer) and still absolutely loved it. Absolutely amazing mouth feel and great roastiness.

Poured from a 16 oz can purchased 2 days ago at the brewery, into the test glass
A - Chalkboard colored backdrop, easily conceals the active carbonation. A loose knit froth of mocha covers the surface.
S - Floral nose from that Citra dry hopping, notes of roast malts, bakers chocolate, broad leaf tobacco, are in the mix.
T - Pine , mixed with cocoa, a bit of smoke, hints of coffee, molasses as well.
M - Starts out a touch sweet, then a bulldozer of bitterness muscles its way across the palate, linger is resinous, and pine driven. That's a bold feel , muscular. The body is medium to heavy , not slick and very dry in the finish.
O - I understand where prior reviews ponder why this is not a black IPA, the feel keeps this in the stout camp for me. The hop element is consistent with the Alchemist lure for sure. A big Stout as advertised.

A: Pours a pitch black color with 2 fingers of head that slowly fades down to a thin cap that leaves good lacing

S: Lots of roasted malt along with a burst of citrus. Dark chocolate, coffee, and char present as well

T: Follows the nose. Starts off with the combination of roasted malt, dark chocolate, and citrusy hops and then picks up some coffee and char. Bitterness is fairly high throughout. Finishes with lingering char, bitterness, and dark chocolate